Weight loss support with a spiritual element. I will keep you posted on my journey in the hopes that you will join me in becoming the person God wants you to be. Don't worry about being religious. Come as you are.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Holy Rollers. Puppet Master. Isaac/Katrina and a benevolent God. These are references that bother me as a Christian. I also see concepts of the Divine that seem wrong to me. I also have a disclaimer. I recognize everyone's right to believe or not believe; to blog as they wish. We sometimes need civil dialogue. My son has declared atheism. I have unfriended him on Facebook because of arrogant, vulgar references to Christians and conservatives. If that is my example for atheism, he can keep it. It is his right to post what he does; it is also my right not to read it.

I don't link up to other bloggers unless it is for something I think is really good and would benefit those who visit my blog. I have blogged several times that gluttony is a sin and that Christians should not be obese. Gluttony is idolatry. Gluttony is greed. Ephesians 5:5. I wouldn't think anyone who has read my blog very much would not understand that faith is a part of my life. This is different from religion. People used to communicate through symbols and those symbols can be interpreted differently by different people at different times through history. Read Emmet Fox, Charles Fillmore, and C.S. Lewis. The four horses in Revelation each represent a different part of each person. Eve represents the soul. The serpent represents sensuality (the flesh). Eating of the tree of the knowledge of good/evil was the first sin and caused separation from God. We were originally meant to be eternal. We were given choice.

There is a part of us that cannot be explained with blood and muscle. I have often wondered why the name of God and Jesus Christ are used for swearing whereas Allah, Mohammed, Buddha, etc., are not.We lament over the disrespect we see in our youth. We can't understand their violence, foul mouths, and lack of ambition. If we teach them that they come from animals what do we expect? Another thought - if we descended from apes, wouldn't we be able to produce young with them? Our DNA would be the same wouldn't it? If we descended from apes why are there still apes? There is a gap in the fossil record that I have learned of. Let's say one of our present day animals descended from birds. Wouldn't there be a fossil record of part bird/part lizard (for example) creatures as evolution happened? There isn't.

This topic always makes some people uncomfortable. I'll probably lose some followers which I have noticed usually happens when religion or politics is the topic. Why do we feel uncomfortable? We are all religious. We just worship different things. We should not worship food/eating. I am guilty of it of course or wouldn't have weight to lose. Politics is another matter. During an election year there are some who have trouble thinking they were wrong to help elect Obama and will vote for him again. There are people who can look at the facts, his record, whether or not he has kept his campaign promises and determine that 4 years is enough time to do what he said he was going to do. If you didn't listen to Paul Ryan last night and Condoleeza Rice, I recommend you go to YouTube and hear their speeches. Chris Christie did a great job as well. Listen with an open mind and consider if what they said is true. America has watched Republicans like Chris Christie, Scott Walker, and the governor from New Mexico who spoke last night turn formerly Democrat led states around to fiscal solvency. Indiana is one of a few states in the black through the leadership of Mitch Daniels, also a Republican.

I read of a progressive who believes that we should be able to destroy a child up to the age of 2 years old if it is determined that child will not be able to contribute at a high level. There is another progressive who believes we should genetically engineer our offspring. There is talk of allowing abortions if the sex of the child is not what the parents wanted. Then there is the other end of life - older people will just be kept comfortable as they die because the expense of the surgery far outweighs their ability to contribute to society. This is what life means? - how much we can contribute to the wealth of a nation? How many parents love their Down's Syndrome child? I want my mother who is 86 to receive the care she needs to live as long she has the will to live.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

A Holistic Approach to Recovery by Richard L. Plagenhoef, M.D. and Carol Adler

Preface:

In the 1960's, when I attended medical school, holistic medicine did not exist. Doctors instructed us to treat symptoms, or signs of illness, such as headaches and sore throats, by prescribing drugs. They taught us that surgery could "correct" heart, liver, kidney and other physical body defects. Eventually, surgeons developed highly skilled methods for transplanting faulty organs, such as the heart, kidneys and liver. Most orthodox physicians still believe that drugs and surgery are the best methods for treating disease and dysfunction.

I felt these solutions were often unsatisfactory. It didn't seem to make sense to treat the signals of distress rather than the distress itself. How could we expect a person to become well if we were treting only complaints and not the reason for complaints? A drug for making a headache go away did not magically make the reason for the headache also disappear. If any chronic causative factors were present, it seemed logical to expect the headache to eventually return after the effects of the medicine had worn off.

Why did many persons remain in a state of pain and discomfort, even after years of excellent medical care? Why couldn't we become permanently healthy?

I also asked another serious medical question: Why was such a large percentage of the country's population suffering from one or more addictions? Everywhere, I saw people damaging their health by drinking and eating too much. Doctors suspected a connection between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Few paid attention. Hospital emergency wards were filled with evidence of self-abuse. Around the clock, ambulances delivered victims of drunk driving, drug-related crimes and attempted suicides.

Addictions were destroying our lives and injuring innocent persons. They were trapping us in behavior patterns that were crude, cruel and self-defeating. As a doctor, I needed to know why this country was creating even more illness, disease and dysfunction than already existed. I had to know why we seemed to have no permanent answers for addiction recovery.

A doctor must be a good detective. I was determined to uncover all the possible reasons for addictive behavior. However, I realized that any mission was no longer within the boundaries of modern medicine. American-trained doctors rarely ask why a person became ill. As a rule, they expend little effort in understanding mental, emotional and lifestyle causative factors of a patient's illness. Unless a person chooses to be treated by a psychiatrist, modern medicine most often does not address mental health-related questions.

Although modern medicine grew more sophisticated and technical, it did not change its basic approach to healing. It still continued to treat predominantly signs and symptoms rather than causative factors in dis-eases. Specialized medicine, such as cardiology, obstetrics ad gynecology, oncology, pathology and endocrinology, only seemed to narrow down the range of symptoms it felt qualified to address. I realized that possibly family medical practice would be the only way an American doctor could research new theories and pioneer new healing techniques.

Family medicine is, in many ways, a return to earlier methods of treating patients. At one time, doctors were personal friends who were often considered members of the family. When a person was ill, doctors paid house calls.

Family doctors are concerned about the patient's family life. They are aware that a person can reflect the stress of loved ones. Stress leads to cardiovascular dis-ease, ulcers and breakdown of the immune system. Breakdown of the immune system leads to immune illness and also sets the stage for addictive behavior.

Stress is one of the basic causes of dis-ease, dysfunction and addiction syndromes. When family doctors examine their patients, they ask questions about family environment. It seems natural and logical to consider possible connections between symptoms of illness, stress or lack of control, and a person's lifestyle. For example, if a husband is suffering from heart disease and he is overworking in order to support a large family, the family doctor will see a possible connection between emotional and physical stress, and the heart problem. The family doctor will be considering causes or reasons for the effects, or symptoms--in this case, heart dis-ease.

I chose to practice family medicine because I believe we must treat the whole person. By considering all factors that may have led to stress and breakdown of the immune system, I realized I had a better chance of helping my patients recover their health.

Orthodox or traditional medicine often did not consider addiction syndromes to be health related. Perhaps, I concluded, the method for addiction release was the same method for health recovery. If I could examine all the reasons for addiction behavior, possibly I could root out all those causal factors. I would be pushing aside the "smoke screen" to view the total picture, the total person, behind that screen. Rather than treat symptoms, such as inability to stop smoking or eating, I would treat causes, such as poor eating habits, an unhappy home life, or a stressful job.

If I could discover causal factors that were keeping a person in an addicted state, it seemed reasonable to belive that changing those factors might cure the patient. It seemed logical that treatment could produce permanent adddiction release. What better reason to practice medicine?

This book is a testimony to my success. May it be the key that will open the door for all those who are struggling to free themselves from life-threatening addictions.

Richard Plagenhoef, M.D.

There is a chapter on Food Addiction: The Illusion of Truth which I will post later. All the addictions have a chapter so you may want a copy of the book if you are interested in how the author treats those as well.

This is why diets don't work. We have been treating the symptoms of a deeper problem with a diet. The weight isn't the problem; it is the symptom.

I have spent countless hours planning, journaling, fussing, thinking, organizing, gathering information, and many other activities that keep me focused on eating/food. Why can't I just do it as Nike would say. I already know what to do. I have done it before. Do I really need to buy another book?

There's nothing wrong with educating ourselves. Don't get me wrong. I am wondering if these are just stalling tactics. "Everything has to be just right, perfect, in order for me to get started." Then when I messed up once again it was due to lack of information; the plan didn't work; there was a flaw in my methods. It's time to buy another book and try something else.

Monday, August 27, 2012

I wonder how many times I have known I was getting into a dangerous situation regarding eating/food and just tried to wing it? I wasn't listening very well to the impending danger. That tune in "Jaws" makes me tense up because I know something scary is about to happen.

I always said that if we stay out of their habitat there are no problems. If we are going to go where the sharks are they are most likely going to act like sharks.

We should not put ourselves in dangerous situations - not always possible is it? That's when our resolve is tested; it is when being proactive is absolutely essential. It is when we cannot shrink at the thought that we might offend someone if we don't eat as they do. It is being able to recognize the sharks.

I think most people will want to help us if we ask them to help us and make them aware of how important losing weight is to us. We just don't ask I think. We have to evaluate the situation. We have to evaluate ourselves. I think it is sometimes better just not to say we are on a plan to lose weight and eat as we have chosen to eat. We can just say we are not hungry at the moment. We certainly must know ourselves. If we don't trust ourselves to get started, eat before the event and then just say your stomach doesn't feel right and take some water. They can infer from that what they wish. Sometimes it is easier to just stay home. Invite everyone to your house where you will be in control of the food and when people ask what to bring tell them something healthy; they'll do it. I have some great friends who are naturally slim and have always been supportive and encouraging even though they have never had to lose weight in their lives. We all need friends like that.

I noticed this morning in step aerobics how much more I do when the instructor starts counting down the last eight reps. I was ready to give up and drop the weights and she started counting and I did it. That's why I like a class or a video. I try to keep up better and don't let myself give up so quickly because there is that part of me that WANTS to keep up. I imagine that's the main purpose of a personal trainer - to make us go farther than we ever thought possible or would have if we had gone to the gym to work out on our own.

Watch out for the sharks today and for goodness sake don't go where they are. Is that grammatically correct?

Friday, August 24, 2012

I head up our local quilt during Archway Days here in Centerville. Last night we spent two hours hanging all the quilts in the Mansion House, a stage coach stop way back when. The first court house of Wayne County is also on the property. We have a beautiful display of quilts and needlework this year and for the first time we had to spill over into the Court House because we were full. The Mansion House is three stories high and many years ago this quilt show filled all three floors. Rather than going up a floor for the extra things we used the Court House because some people just can't do steps.

Today a bus with 25 women stopped and were we ever surprised. It was so great. This is the first bus load of people we have had since I have been a part of this. When this quilt show was in its prime, groups would charter buses to come and see it. We are having a silent auction for three antique quilts that are in very good condition. There is also a display of antique quilts from a friend of mine from back in college. She has a picture that goes with one of the quilts. It is of the women in a group who each made a block with her name embroidered on it as a friendship quilt that was then given to someone as a special remembrance of the group. Everything was done by hand of course.

We have a flea market that is always very popular. People are asked to donate books, magazines, patterns, fabric, etc., that they want to get out of the way and we sell it and the money goes towards the maintenance and upkeep of both buildings. We got an estimate of $13,000 for the repair of the chinking and varmint damage in the Court House. The new roof for the Mansion House is costing $8,000 and the replacing the driveway will cost $6,000. Admission to the quilt show is $3.

There are food vendors and crafters with booths down on Morton Avenue and yard sales all over town. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last day and then we will have to take everything down for people to pick up their projects and I will have to figure out what to do with what doesn't sell at the flea market.

Does your town have a festival of some kind and does it include a quilt show? If you are a part of a group that needs to raise money, I recommend a Garden Tour. Ours has been very successful. The money from that also goes to Historic Centerville for the maintenance and upkeep of the Mansion House property as well. This year we added an ice cream social to the Garden Tour which went better than I expected. We had home made pies (I made peach and blackberry - of which I had none), ice cream, and a drink.

Words are very powerful. It is very important that our words are used for good.

A child can be disciplined without yelling, screaming, swearing, and name calling. That's how is was at my house as a child for the most part (dad, not mom). What can they do when someone who is bigger than they are and upon whom they depend for their lives is out of control? I always thought it odd that studies show that those who were abused as children often become abusers as parents. They learned how their parents dealt with child rearing and that's about all they know about it. Discipline should be to correct behavior not to vent anger. A child has nothing to compare his/her home with so why wouldn't that child think that all homes are like theirs and all parents like theirs? They learn this lesson all too well.

Our children are watching us and they learn more from what they see us do and say than they ever learn in school. I read once that a child's personality is formed by about two years old and they learn more before they begin school than they do the rest of their lives. They learn how to express love and anger. They learn the language and basic grammar. They learn the language by mimicking what they hear. What they see and hear influences their minds and their attitudes.

Children Learn What They Live
By Dorothy Law Nole

If a child lives with criticism,

he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,

he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule,

he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with shame,

he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance,

he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement,

he learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise,

he learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with fairness,

he learns justice.

If a child lives with security,

he learns to have faith.

If a child lives with approval,

he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,

He learns to find love in the world

Many of us are under repair. Some of us are repeating the mistakes of our parents. I hope not. Do any of you catch yourself doing the things your parents did, saying what they said, acting like they did?

All children should grow up in a home with loving parents who will discipline with love and preserve their self-esteem. The homes that need the least discipline are the ones where boundaries are set and parents follow through with consequences. We don't have to yell and threaten and repeat ourselves. Our anger increases and then discipline isn't what it should be.

I am not a fan of all this time out and counting to ten and grounding and taking away privileges. This may work for some and with consistency may have its place. A warning or two and then a swat on the butt is quick, relatively easy, and effective - then it's over. It becomes increasingly difficult as the child gets older (and as big as we are) to start a program of discipline. My dad didn't have to discipline us much but we knew he would because he followed through. He had his faults but dishonesty and disrespect were two things he could not abide.

Sometimes I think if things are out of control we need to sit down and talk at a "neutral" time, go over the situation, and map out so everyone understands what needs to be done and then follow through consistently each time whether you feel like it or not. Relationships depend on it.

I wonder how many of our homes as children have made it difficult for us as adults to be as productive and successful as we should be.

After hearing
this saying, I’ve been paying attention to what my
mind sees.Does my mind see me waking up all of
a sudden and someone just giving me $1MM?Does my
mind see me suddenly speaking in front of large
audiences just because they saw one flyer? Does
my mind see me waking up and "(your name here), I now am a healthy
body size?"

Or does my mind see me doing what it
takes and making choices necessary to have $1MM,
to be a six figure speaker or to have a healthy body
size?

I have a dream wall of all these
things. But my mind has to see me doing what it
takes. My mind has to see me making choices.
My mind has to see me making sacrifices.

And then my
feet will follow.

I have a new friend Linda who sent me this in an email. Do we dream too much and do too little? Do we wish, hope, long for, and pray for normal weight? That isn't how it works. I have heard it said in Church that some people are "standing on the promises but sitting on the premises". Jesus said, "Go and make disciples", "Feed my sheep", "Take care of widows and orphans". He didn't say sit around and think about it. These phrases all start with an action verb.

If our feet are not going in the right direction our minds must not be seeing where we want to be. Our minds have to be on board. Each action is first a thought. Each thing we determine to do or not do is first decided upon in our minds. Let's start each day with the resolve to finish it closer to where we want to be.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I taught psychology at the high school level and one of the subjects we looked at was artificial light and its effects on our lives.

Back in the day people went by the sun up sun down cycle for activity. It is no longer necessary to stop anything because it is dark - including eating, watching TV, or spending time at the computer. Our sleeping habits have gotten out of "sync". Many who are struggling often struggle with eating at night or in the front of the TV.

Ever had jet lag? Do you know about your circadian rhythm? Ever known someone who works third shift or perhaps you have had to endure this.

We visited my husband's brother in Alaska during the daylight 6 months of the year. I didn't know when to sleep. I didn't know what day it was. There was no real night. The windows has to be completely covered so I would think it was night and could sleep. They have a real problem in Alaska with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) - suicide is bad there because of depression. It is recommended to use the lights that simulate daylight. There is also a high rate of alcoholism there.

I think I read that 20 minutes of sunlight is enough for our daily need of Vitamin D. Indiana gets pretty gloomy for long periods of time during the winter months. Perhaps this contributes to SAD because I know people in the Midwest suffer from it as well as in Alaska.

Can you tell the days are getting shorter? I can here in Indiana. It's almost 7 a.m. and it is just a dusk kind of light outside. I need to water things with the hose and have to wait until I can see what I am doing.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

As I have blogged before, I have three different daily readings on my Kindle. Here is the August 17 reading from "A Year With C. S. Lewis".

Chastity is the most unpopular of the Christian virtues. There is no getting away from it; the Christian rule is, "either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence." Now this is so difficult and so contrary to our instincts, that obviously either Christianity is wrong or our sexual instinct, as it now is, has gone wrong. One or the other. Of course, being a Christian, I think it is the instinct which has gone wrong.

But I have other reasons for thinking so. The biological purpose of sex is children, just as the biological purpose of eating is to repair the body. Now if we eat whenever we feel inclined and just as much as we want, it is quite true most of us will eat too much: but not terrifically too much. One man may eat enough for two, but he does not eat enough for ten. The appetite goes a little beyond its biological purpose, but not enormously. But if a healthy young man indulged his sexual appetite whenever he felt inclined, and if each act produced a baby, then in ten years he might easily populate a small village. This appetite is in ludicrous and preposterous excess of its function.

Or take it another way. You can get a large audience together for a strip-tease act--that is, to watch a girl undress on the stage. Now suppose you come to a country where you could fill a theatre by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let every one see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon, would you not think that in that country something had gone wrong with the appetite for food? And would not anyone who had grown up in a different world think there was something equally queer about the state of the sex instinct among us?

-from Mere Christianity

Our instincts are of our base, animal nature. We are, of course, more than that but some are stuck there. Food is love/Sex is love. In the animal kingdom food is in its proper place - nourishment. Sex is to continue the species. With our frontal lobe food has all kinds of emotions attached to it and sex has become a sport. Consider the problems these two bent appetites have brought us.

Monday, August 20, 2012

I sometimes check my traffic sources in my stats area. Lately there have been two porn sites with two or three hits from them. Can those be blocked somehow or is it something we just have to accept by being out there on the internet? I get emails from addresses with get rich quick schemes as well. Do any of you experience this and have you been able to do anything about it?

Sunday, August 19, 2012

My stomach did not growl until after noon today and it was because I was working on the dry creek bed and wanted to at least get the larger rocks down each side which I had to move from another place in the yard. Another reason is that I ate almonds last night and I am usually not hungry in the morning for a while when I do that. Jenn also talks about having the same tendency with almonds. When on low carb it is easy to think, "These have no carbs so I can eat all I want". - NOT - calories do count although these calories don't cause the blood sugar train wreck that something like cookies or candy will cause. We can rationalize almost anything. I know because I have had years of practice.

Anyway - here are some pictures.

We used to have a water feature in this old claw foot bathtub. It was really cute with the water coming up through the sink faucet and then the sink spilling over into the tub where there were gold fish. It got to be a pain with algae and slime so now it is going to be a flower bed. This is at the top of the dry creek bed and behind the outhouse (see below).

This the view from the bottom of the hill. I have already started planting some rocks as you can see on the left and right of the dry creek bed. I will have all the river rock in it in a couple of days.

This is my outhouse "yard art" that son #2 got for me for my birthday a few years ago. That is an old oat drill with iron wheels on it on the left. I have planted a clematis on each wheel. There are cone flowers and various other flowers around it.

﻿This is the wagon in the front yard with large pots of flowers in it.

I took some more pictures but couldn't get them to load up. I'll have to save them for later.

I have to stop now and go get ready for a family cookout where we will meet my cousin Karli's fiance. Cookouts are pretty easy for me. I have no problem eating a hamburger and a hot dog without a bun. There are usually fresh vegetables and I will take my water.

It was about how intuitive eating gets compromised pretty early in life - especially now with bottle feeding rather than breast feeding.

The breast feeding mother cannot force more into the baby because the baby turns his/her head and stops suckling when full. Breast fed babies usually require more frequent feedings because they are on their own schedule. The mother of a bottle fed baby can look at the bottle and see there is a half ounce or so left and continue "force feeding" until that last little bit is down the baby who has tried to stop eating.

We then enter the breakfast at 7, lunch at noon, and supper at 6 years. Remember when we weren't allowed to eat too close to a meal if we were hungry because it would spoil our appetites? This is a hard one. The family meal used to be when there was good conversation and all shared what was going on. Does anybody do that anymore? Is it better to just go ahead and eat when hungry or learn to wait - death is not imminent if hunger is denied for a time. The thing with intuitive eating is there can be no schedule. A schedule can be created because we can bypass hunger and wait for the meal. I remember our boys were allowed to have a morning snack at school in the middle of the morning before lunch. They were to bring something nutritious however. Is it realistic to make a growing child wait from noon until 6 p.m. to eat? We were always hungry when we got home from school.

What about the clean up your plate thing? There are starving kids somewhere whose plight will be worsened if the kid doesn't eat everything on his/her plate. Food is a reward for good grades or punishment (go to bed without supper) for bad behavior. Food is a celebration at birthdays, holidays, graduations, retirements, etc. Food is used as a bribe - clean up your room and we will go for ice cream.

When it was time to eat, everybody was to stop and come to the table. The food might get cold. Leftovers could not be allowed to spoil. It would be better to eat that last bit of mashed potatoes in the bowl rather than throw it out.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

I have wondered many times why it upsets me to get to a growl before eating. I am empty and have that hollow feeling that is hunger when on low-carb. When I get to that point just before the growl I can start feeling anxious. What is going on?

I try to reason with myself. It doesn't bother me like it used to but I still get that tenseness, that anxiety when trying to wait for the growl which is the only way to eat intuitively for me. If I eat reasonable amounts the growl comes back around like it should pretty much when it should. Am I afraid it won't and then I won't get to eat? I know I am usually driving or sitting around when the anxiety happens. If I am busy it is not such a problem at all.

I have read some blogs where people eat about 5 small meals a day. I read some blogs where people are concerned about having ONLY three meals a day.

We can start second guessing ourselves because we don't trust our bodies to let us know when food is necessary. We have become so out of touch with basic food needs. There are so many emotions attached to this most basic daily need. We do math. We plan ahead. We write everything down. We must have so much of this food, only this much of another, and none of that food. This disconnect causes so much stress. The food industry hasn't helped much. Uninformed people are gullible people. Didn't we all have Health in high school? I know there have been some issues and changes as far as the food pyramid and all that goes but we did learn about healthy food didn't we? We learned about calories and activity. At the time we probably didn't pay attention like we should have but there are many topics that we don't put to use until later in life that we learned in school.

One of the rationales for eating several small meals a day is to keep the metabolism at a steady pace and the blood sugar won't drop too far and then be spiked with a meal. I wonder what the real difference is between eating 3 meals a day and 5 meals a day. It doesn't seem to me like it could be a very significant amount if we have the same calories spread over 5 meals as opposed to 3 meals.

The person I read was going to try just eating three meals a day. I have read many who ponder this drastic measure :-) If we are out of control or making poor choices of course it is whether we are having 3 or 5 meals a day. It could also be whether our metabolism is messed up. And then of course it could be our plantar fasciitis acting up again (for you Norma).

I am working on a new project in the yard - a dry creek bed. It's going to be so great. I took a picture today of how much I have done. I also took some other pictures around the yard. I know you have been wondering when I would post another garden tour :-)

Me said in her comment to me about mentioning her comment as a blog topic (does that even make sense?:-) that we should find another reason to lose weight. Health doesn't work (unless it's life or death and then sometimes that doesn't change behavior). I remember my uncle and my dad, both diabetic, eating what they wanted and then depending on extra insulin to take care of it.

The motivation can be something as insignificant as a marble. Here is Pam's idea for short term motivation. That makes a lot more sense than better health don't you think? :-) Works for me. I am doing it.

OK - we've established that better health doesn't really do it for us so let's think of some other things. How about buying yourself something one size too small - something really great that you cannot wait to wear? Getting off the necessary weight to wear those new jeans would motivate some of us.

Maybe a massage with a 10 lb. loss.

Would you like to have a toe ring? New ear rings?

How about some fresh flowers for the kitchen table when you reach the next digit?

It can be something as little as bubble bath, nail polish, or lipstick.

Avoiding surgery, amputation, or blindness? We think about those things but it won't happen today will it? Is that what's in the back of our minds - it won't be today? I want a toe ring.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

This comment from Me regarding my last post was very thought provoking:

Motivation is the reason why we succeed or fail at anything. My own
personal opinion is that "being healthy" is not a good enough motivation
to lose weight, because if we wanted to be healthy, we wouldn't have
put on weight in the first place. I know that this is somewhat
controversial. As an example, ask someone why they have not
tried heroin (scary addiction and potentially life damaging), bet all of
their wealth on a single horse at the grand national (financial ruin
and a life of explaining to people why you screwed up), or have 10
children to 10 different partners (financial burden and the
understanding that maybe your children would suffer). So you
don't do those behaviors because of the bad effects. Yet we become
overweight/obese until our health suffers but we continue to eat. A
reduced life expectancy 40 years from now is just too far away and not
important enough. Just my opinion of course, and I welcome the
opportunity to be proven wrong. The average weight loss
achieved by dieters/weight loss bloggers is zero, but I'd say if you
offered $50,000 to someone who lost weight and maintained for 10 years
the success rate would be higher, even though that is what they'd expect
to lose as income of an obese person is reduced due to shorter life
expectancy and greater health costs / shorter working life.

If someone offered me $50,000 as a motivator for weight loss; I would be all over it wouldn't you? If someone told me that in 40 years I would still have many good years ahead of me if I lost the same amount of weight not so much. If that same person said I had to maintain the loss for 10 years before receiving the $50,000 the same enthusiasm would not be there. I would have to receive the $50,000 immediately upon losing said amount of weight then I would spend the money and what happens next? You know. I would gain the weight back plus some probably. I lost the weight for the wrong reason and once I received the money (another phrase for "reached my goal weight") things would return to the original state.

Weight loss is not like a cold, you get over it, and go back to life as usual. It has never worked and it never will.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Jane has a great post here. She talks about reasons for doing something. Negative reasons are not beneficial to us emotionally.

Motivation is why we do things. It is that reason that is first in our brains and we decide to do or not do something. There is negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement.

Everything we do is first a thought.

We are kind of screwed up when it comes to overeating aren't we? The results of overeating are negative reinforcement yet we repeat the behavior. My dad's negative reinforcement for bad behavior was pretty convincing and something we did not want to revisit. He did not have to discipline us much but we knew he would.

So here we go overeating so that we can revisit the negative reinforcement. The negative reinforcement evidently isn't negative enough or we would catch on. Let's wait for diabetes, a stroke, or a heart attack. Maybe then our eating behavior will change. In America, that is often the scenario - we are diagnosed with diabetes then we watch our diets; we have a stroke and then we careful about what goes into our bodies; we have a heart attack and then we begin to exercise.

Positive reinforcement doesn't trump negative reinforcement in so many of us. The positive reinforcement of smaller sizes, more energy, and better health isn't enough to make us seek those things through what we eat. This has always been something I consider, reconsider, and then consider again. How can we want these things so badly and yet do the very things that keep it from happening?

And look at the excuses we use:

It was the weekend.
There was a family reunion.
The birthday cake was in the break room.
I was angry with someone.
I was depressed.
I was happy.
The wind was out of the north.

Delayed gratification is a big part of the problem here. It seems so long until we are slim and healthy.

Good news. We can be that person right now. We can change our tomorrows by working on today and being slim now. The body will catch up. If we want to keep it off permanent changes will be necessary. If those changes are made today; we just have to be patient and practice being what we want to become. It will be ours and tomorrow morning we will be closer and it will be a new day to practice slim, healthy, and strong. Practice makes perfect doesn't it?

Sunday, August 12, 2012

The irony of compulsive overeating is that it eliminates hunger and intensifies craving. OA

craving - an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing.

Ever been hungry and didn't know what you wanted? A natural slim person waits until something sounds good. I go ahead and eat something even though I didn't really want that particular food. I was not particular. I would settle for "not it" rather than wait for "this hits the spot".

I remember my grandmother saying she craved the scrapings out of the bowl of grandpa's pipe. She was diagnosed with cancer a while after that. Isn't that weird? How could she have known that scraping the inside of the bowl of grandpa's pipe and eating that would satisfy this abnormal desire? Have you ever had a craving of this type or known someone who has? Our bodies are pretty amazing when we can determine things like this.

When we are eating compulsively we are never hungry physically because our cravings are leading us to eat outside of the bounds of "normal". We have it in our heads that this crazy eating will satisfy something that we are missing. We don't have to eat over anything. But we did. Some of us still do at times. It doesn't work but we keep trying it. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results = insanity according to Einstein. There is a classic piece of literature about a knight who fights imaginary, impossible battles - Don Quixote - I think who kept at it in this manner. He is idealistic and a romantic. I have never read it. This may not be a good example since I don't know if it supports my argument or not. It may end up illustrating to not give up and I'll do a different post (maybe) if it does.

Even if it's the not giving up thing - shouldn't we give up binge eating because of the results? Are the results what we hope to achieve by overeating? It's so easy to be logical about this when we are in control but then the urge to binge hits and we have to fight that battle again. Will we lose this next battle or see it coming and find a way to relax ourselves and win? I remember the feeling before a binge. It is almost an inner terror. It's a terror that is quieted with food, lots of food. We know how to quiet that terror because we have done it before. It works. The problem is that it is an imaginary terror. Another problem is that the terror is only quieted for a while. There needs to be a daily way to stay in control. We must find a way to claim victory for ourselves. We are so busy avoiding a binge that we forget to claim the victory.

Each choice we make should take us closer to our goals.

Would those of you who used to binge and no longer binge share the path you took for the benefit of those who are still fighting this battle? In my case, I just kept fighting. My binges became less severe and farther apart. I wanted to stop the binge eating so badly that I finally got it into my head to stop being self-destructive. I guess that came partly from achieving other things in my life that binge eating hindered as well. Binge eating hinders exercise; it hurts relationships; it is embarrassing; it hinders weight loss - nothing good comes from it.

I think one of the best tools at our disposal is staying busy and occupied. I am not naturally active. It is something I have to work at. If I am sitting around and being a slug food problems are on the way and I better get up and at it. I know this all too well. How about you?

I have known people who cannot sit still. Even when sitting things are moving - the leg is swinging, toe is tapping, fingers are drumming. Son #1 will pace around in the kitchen while waiting on something in the microwave. He will search around the house and try to scrounge up a load of laundry so he will have something to do hanging them up and taking them down. We probably have enough wood for 3 or 4 winters in addition to what we sell. He would rather cut, split, and stack wood than eat. He loves doing this and forgets to eat. I have known others who say they forget to eat. Can't relate.

I am wondering if there is anything that would make me forget to eat. OK - I thought about it - NO. I watch the clock although not as much as I used to. I am better at eating intuitively by waiting for the growl although I don't always do this - that is un-intuitive. I am still empty and hollow before the growl and even though I know it won't be much longer I just go ahead. This trumps the intuitive part because by not waiting for the growl it is hard to find full (not stuffed but satisfied). Then there is another challenge to eat slowly because when really hungry it is easy to eat too fast thereby eating too much. Do we eat too fast because we are afraid we will be full and then will have to decide whether or not to leave the rest? That has always been super tough for me - leaving food. I would rather use a small plate with smaller amounts and eat all of it than fill up a dinner plate and then have to decide when to stop. I wonder why that is but it is. Keeping it in perspective, we will be eating again in 4 hours or so. Even if we missed a meal it's not really that long until the next although it would seem like an eternity wouldn't it? If we just eat a small amount each time, our growl will come around more quickly.

I read a study done on rats where two different groups were given the same total calories but one group was given their calories in just 2 or 3 meals and the others had their calories spread evenly over the day in small amounts. The first group gained weight; the second one did not. The conclusion was that our bodies can only deal with so many calories at a time and the rest will be stored as fat. Something to think about.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Here ARE The Top Ten Reasons Why Guys Fail In The Gym And How To Make
Sure YOU Avoid Every One Of These Deadly Common Mistakes...

MISTAKE #1: Using Mostly Machine Exercises

Have you ever noticed how most guys in the gym are packed like cattle
into the machine area while they're letting the free weights gather dust?
Of course you have.
We've all felt intimidated by the free weight area, so it makes sense
to stick with the machines which look easier, safer and equally effective.
But guess what?
Machines aren't nearly as effective as free weights because they
balance the weight for you. That's why the strength they develop doesn't
carry over to the real world and sports activities.
And while it's true that machines are safe because you can't drop a bar
on your head, they're ultimately NOT as safe as free weights because
they force you into fixed, unnatural movements that can hurt your joints.
On the other hand, free weights allow for NATURAL movements and build the
kind of real-world strength that you'll NEVER achieve with machine.
And since hardly anyone is using free weights in your gym, you'll no longer
have to wait for equipment to be free and thus save a TREMENDOUS amount of
time.

MISTAKE #2: Doing Too Many Isolation Exercises

Another huge and unfortunate mistake most guys make is doing too many
exercises that work only one joint at a time. Stuff like Biceps
Curls, Dumbbell Flies and Leg Extensions.
They usually do this because they believe you need to work every muscle
directly, from every possible angle, in order for it to grow.
Most guys don't realize that when you Bench Press, your arms hold and push
the bar. So you're not just working your chest but also your triceps...
and with much heavier weights than you would using an isolation
exercise like triceps extensions.
More important, isolation of a joint is RARE outside the gym. Whether
you're running, jumping or carrying something you're always using
several joints and muscles at the same time.
And that's why doing mostly isolation exercises will build FAKE strength
only usable in
the gym. Worse, this can also result in an unbalanced and weird-looking
physique if you favor certain body parts while neglecting others.
Better is to focus on compounds exercises that work several muscles at the
same time. Exercises like Squats will work your legs, abs and arms with
heavier weights... develop MORE muscle and strength as a result... and cut your
workout time DRAMATICALLY because you only need three to four compound
exercises for a full body workout.
That's training SMART.

MISTAKE #3: Not Training Your Legs And Back

Go to any gym and you'll find most men training their arms, chest and abs
like there's no tomorrow... while they completely ignore their legs and
back.
Few guys know that your body releases more muscle building and fat
burning hormones when you train large muscles like your legs and
back.
Not only that, these anabolic hormones also stimulate growth in your smaller
muscles.
That's right. If you train your legs and back, you will not only get a
more balanced
physique, you'll also get MORE GROWTH in your chest, shoulders and arms.
Watch out for those Captain Upperbodies with toothpick legs and pencil
necks. The only reason they got a pigeon chest although they rarely train
their legs and back, is almost always drug-use. And few of them will
ever admit this...
But if you train NATURALLY like I've always done, you'll have to train your
legs and back for maximum upper-body results...

MISTAKE #4: Hitting The Gym Without A Plan

We've all done this, going to the gym without ANY idea of what we're going
to do... instead just messing around with whatever equipment happens to be free
or try the "cool" stuff some other guy is doing.
Another BIG mistake.
I'm sure you've heard the saying, "FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO
FAIL". It's like leaving on a journey without roadmap or compass. If you
don't know where you're going and where you are, you're simply LESS
LIKELY to succeed.
That's why you should ALWAYS have a clear plan and goal for every workout.
This means knowing BEFORE you even enter the gym which exercises you're going
to do, with how much weight, and for how many sets and reps.
Not only will this make you stop worrying about what everybody else is
thinking, once you start "keeping score" you'll also KNOW
whether what you're doing in the gym actually WORKS.
And remember, what you can measure you can improve. Never leave success
to luck.

MISTAKE #5: Lifting The Same Weight All The Time

One of the most common mistakes that guys make is lifting the same weight
week after week... without ever challenging themselves to lift more.
Know this: unless you give your body a REASON to become bigger and
stronger, it's going to be lazy and stay exactly where it is today.
In fact, you can even get WEAKER and struggle to get your reps with
your regular weight...
That's why you should ALWAYS try to lift more weight than last time. It
doesn't need to be much, five pounds extra is plenty. What matters is
that you push your body to get stronger by increasing the weight
systematically.
Maybe you're thinking: "but Mehdi, nobody can add weight forever!"
Of course not, that would be too easy. But you can add weight CONSISTENTLY
for longer than you think with my StrongLifts 5x5 Workout...
And as you'll discover in the coming weeks, even if you hit a plateau, there
are ways around it..
.
MISTAKE #6: Thinking Getting "Pumped" And Sore Means You Had
An Effective Workout

Another huge mistake is thinking that training until your muscles are pumped
will make them grow bigger... and that waking up with sore muscles the
day after means you had a good workout.
Listen, pump and soreness may or may not happen, but they are not
required to gain muscle. Here's what is: ADDING WEIGHT TO THE BAR.
Don't believe me? Then why are the best-built guys always those with a
strength background?
Here's why: because it's a scientifically proven fact that the number
one thing that builds
muscle is gaining strength - NOT pump or soreness.
Think about it. Who will have the biggest chest? The guy who can Bench
300 pounds or the one who does supersets with 135lb until pumped and sore?
Maybe you don't care about getting stronger, but the fact remains that the
guy who can Bench 300lb will always have a bigger chest than the one who Benches
135lb. And that's because strength builds muscle.
Truth is, if you're not lifting more weight today than three months
ago, REGARDLESS of how pumped and sore you got during all that time, you
are NOT making progress. Period.

MISTAKE #7: Trying to "Confuse" Your Muscles To Make Them
Grow

I just explained it's a mistake to think that getting pumped and sore will
build muscle.
Well, another similar mistake a lot of guys do is switching their sets, reps
and exercises all the time in order to confuse their muscles...
The erroneous thinking is that your body will stop gaining muscle if
you do the same exercises, sets and reps week after week.
Well guess what?
This is BROSCIENCE. Let me reiterate what I said earlier: the number
one thing that builds muscle is gaining strength. And you don't get stronger
by switching everything up all the time. Nor can you master technique or
track progress efficiently that way.
Seriously if you REALLY want to confuse your muscles, then here's a simple
way to do it: lift more weight than you did last workout.
Now they're confused.

MISTAKE #8: Skipping Scheduled Workouts

What do most guys do when they're tired, had a rough day at the work or just
don't feel like going to the gym?
They SKIP their scheduled workout.
After all, that one little workout doesn't matter... you can always do
it the day after...
Yeah right. Another BAD idea.
Here's why: skipping workouts doesn't build discipline and it's a SLIPPERY
SLOPE: that one "meaningless"
workout often turns into two skipped workouts. Before you know it you
missed a week, and that's usually the beginning of the end.
Truth is, until you start showing up CONSISTENTLY at the gym... until
you understand
that BAD workouts are better than NO workouts... you'll NEVER have the kind
of body and strengthyou want.

MISTAKE #9: Trying To Out-train A Bad Diet

This is the most common mistake guys looking to achieve a lean muscular body
make: they waste hours doing boring cardio and countless sit ups in order to
burn their belly fat and get six pack abs.
Unfortunately, 45 mins of cardio at a steady state only burns about
500kcals... which is the equivalent of a Big Mac (without the fries and coke). So
unless you spend the whole day in the pool like Michael Phelps or the whole day
cycling like Lance Armstrong, forget about getting away with eating junk food
each day - you just aren't going to burn
significant calories.
What's more: spot reduction is a myth, it is physiologically impossible to
burn fat locally and get six pack abs by doing a gazillion of sit ups.
Yes, lifting heavy weights will make you build muscle and strength quickly
and naturally. But if you want to achieve a lean muscular body with visible six
pack abs, then you will have to clean up your diet as well. If not, a layer of
fat will always cover
the muscles you've built.

MISTAKE #10: Not Getting HELP

This is the biggest mistake of all.
This is the mistake that keeps most men from EVER having the kind of body and
strength they truly want.
I know, guys don't like to make themselves weak or helpless. We don't
like to ask for help.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

I heard on the news how female athletes have been criticized this year for various things but especially for being fat. Some are fighting back. I say good for them.

Many bloggers have been criticized in this forum for being less than stellar with weight loss efforts. Many have trouble with what they view as hypocrisy. It is hypocritical to say one thing and do another. Taking up the effort to get the weight off is not a smooth road without potholes that we must maneuver through however.

On the one hand I think some tough love is in order. Some are obviously out to make friends and get lots of followers who help them feel OK about doing really stupid things if one has made the claim of wanting to lose weight. Then there are those who really struggle and repeat the same mistakes. They still want to lose weight but haven't been able to avoid derailing. They feel like they are giving their best effort. I think at that moment maybe it was their best effort.

There is a difference between emotional struggles and immaturity when it comes to weight loss. Immaturity in someone who is an adult and has been for quite some time can be infuriating. I just don't follow those people after a time. When faced with a challenge they just go ahead and have fun, eat all they want, and then blog about being OK with it; they are not going to beat themselves up for it, tomorrow is another day, they are more than a number, you know. They have slogans all ready to go. These aren't solutions however.

I understand emotional struggles however. I did binge for years and if I had been blogging at that time I would have received the white hot jabs from others who could not abide this in someone who was blogging about losing weight. I would also have been enabled by those who were doing the same thing. It's difficult to determine how to comment at times don't you think? Someone who is already depressed over yet another binge doesn't need to read about what a failure they are from another person. This doesn't help. They already feel bad enough.

How do you determine who is serious but struggling? Do you leave them comments or not? How do you word those comments?

Ve is new to my list of blogs that I follow. She is very practical and doesn't play around with excuses. She just writes the truth without trying to gloss over setbacks. We all need to face what we have done and deal with it without having a tantrum. I think you might swing over there and read some of what she has written.

She has about 30 lb. to go just like me and is facing some complacency just like me. We both need to finish what we started. I am loving no more "X" with the sizes on my tops, and no more "W" with the sizes on my jeans. I love that my legs aren't rubbing together anymore. My energy level is up. I am exercising regularly and doing many things just because I feel like it now. Not carrying around that extra 45 lb. everywhere I go just makes moving easier. People are calling me "skinny" and telling me I have lost enough. I am tall and carry weight well. People always guess me weighing much less than I do. Why would I ever want to undo any of that?

As we all know, the way to get more followers is to leave comments at the blogs of others because that is how I find blogs that interest me. If I read a comment that is well written and well thought out I go check out that person's blog. Listing our favorite blogs on our blog rolls is also a way to help each other out. We then have to deal with losing a follower. I wonder why that bothers me. I noticed my blog wasn't listed on the blog roll of a person that I follow. I was getting many visits through that blog. Nothing I can do about it. I stop following blogs and rearrange my blog roll occasionally as well. I think many of us tend to be thin skinned about that. We view it as a put down but it isn't. Our blog just doesn't "fit" anymore. I try not to be over sensitive about it but I have to honestly say I think about it. My feelings used to be hurt if I lost a follower or wasn't on someone's blog roll anymore but it really isn't that big of a deal if we are writing for ourselves and we have many followers left who comment and have become good friends.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Well, it's over the hump and heading toward the end of the week. Friday is payday so that's a good thing.

I wasn't hungry this morning before going to step aerobics because I had some almonds before going to bed last night. If I eat very late I often am not hungry the next morning for a while. Contrast this with the past when I would eat because it was time to eat. Who knows? I could collapse at step aerobics. I would even eat so I wouldn't get hungry (better eat now, we may not be near food when hunger rears its ugly head); what if we got caught between exits on the interstate and got hungry for crying out loud.

I didn't collapse at aerobics after all and had my muffin when I got home. I have already had 32 oz. of water and it's 11 a.m. I made my tonic and it is cooling in the refrigerator and that will be another 32 oz. of liquid. I will have one more 32 oz. bottle of water late afternoon or so. This 96 oz. of water is a little more that half my weight so I'm good.

Chicken salad is so good with the 1/2 avocado I put in it and Nathan (son #1 - Army) brought home some MRE dried cranberries and I put some of those in it. Raisins are also good for a few carbs for the energy level. I also put some slivered almonds in it as well. I forget what MRE stands for but it's Army food that is packed in individual packages and fortified for the soldiers when they are out in the field. What we have had is very good really.

It is pretty warm today. There is rain on the way for the next two days and we need it badly. I am going to be working on a dry creek bed out back and on a hill and will have a picture for you so you can see it as it progresses. I have to go to some local farmers and ask if I can pick up rocks out of their fields for my creek bed. I imagine they will be more than happy to let me do that. I also like to edge things with rocks. We had a water feature in an old iron tub with claw feet but it got to be a pain with the pump clogging up and algae growing in it. It was cute. We propped a sink on the end, put the pump so that it circulated the water up through the faucet on the sink and then the water spilled out of the sink into the tub where we had some fish and water plants. It was pretty cute but now the tub and sink are back where the dry creek bed will be and I will be filling it with dirt and planting flowers in it and around it.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The weather is absolutely gorgeous today. Cool nights mean no air conditioning and the windows are open.

I have had my Raisin Bran muffin and am going to do my "Sun Salutes" as a warm up for the No. 1 Fat Burning Exercise (you tube) and then do the salutes again as a stretch and cool down afterwards. These are great stretches. There are you tube videos of this as well. Internet sites also have diagrams of how to do these wonderful yoga stretches.

At the top of the No. 1 Fat Burning Exercise I am going to push up 3 times rather than once with the 10 lb. weights before doing the final squat. I will do 15 reps. of this exercise. The thighs are really burning by the the end but I did notice a curve in my thigh as I sat in my easy chair yesterday that I had not noticed before. Isn't it neat when you notice some muscle definition for the first time in some area or another?

I made some chicken salad yesterday and put an avocado in it so that will be lunch with some carrots and cottage cheese perhaps. I do need to go to the grocery and get some more vegetables today. I picked some green beans yesterday and have planted some lettuce as a fall crop. I am hoping that the worst of the heat is behind us. We have another chance of rain on Thursday.

I made a new strawberry bed in one of the raised beds and will be moving my rhubarb out of the raised beds and into the ground. I am not real crazy about raised beds. I know they warm up faster in the spring but they also dry out faster for the rest of the season. I am going to use my raised beds for things that are more "spring" like lettuces, green onions, radishes, etc., and then I will still have time to plant some zinnias or something similar for color.

Here is my mailbox area for you. Some other pictures too.

Here is the mailbox area. This project was done a couple of years ago adding the hay fork with the pot on it. I have a cardinal climber vine on the mailbox, dahlias in the pot, and zinnias in the pot on the ground in back.

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This the purple hyacinth vine on the end of my clothes line, also the dead hemlock due to the drought. I am the "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade" type so rather than pulling out the dead hemlock I have planted six clematis vines underneath it. I will soon have a clematis tree. Neat idea, huh?

This is a close up of the purple hyacinth vine bloom - gorgeous - they like to be dry, like full sun, and volunteer the next year. If you have a place in full sun for a vine, I recommend these beauties as well as the cardinal climber on my mailbox.

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This is part of the garden. I love my big sun flowers and canna lilies. We have tried gardening in large pots this year. Some success.

This is Sarge in the shade garden. Kind of dark but hope you can tell a little bit about it.

This is the second arbor Isaac (son #2) made for me. It leads into the front yard - no grass, just wood chips there. I think grass is highly over rated. I have a pot of calla lilies on each side. There is a wagon back there somewhere with large pots in it.

Monday, August 6, 2012

I was going to answer Rebecca's question about my muffins individually but decided some of the rest of you might like to have it as well. These freeze beautifully and the recipe makes about 4 dozen muffins. I have one for breakfast just about every day.

This recipe has room for adaptation. I think oats in stead of some of the Raisin Bran would be good. I have had some fiber one cereal on hand before and added that with less Raisin Bran. I have added some water before as the batter was pretty dry - the original recipe called for white flour, wheat flour needs a little more moisture I think with the bran in it.

This is pretty low carb friendly and gives me enough carbs to keep from feeling tired.

Al makes a good point today concerning fear of hunger. Have you and I really thought that through?

Is our fear a fear of not getting enough food or perhaps we fear that we will eat too much again? Our control is very fragile at times isn't it?

Hunger opens a door that we sometimes have trouble getting shut. Hunger signals that we have to deal with food again. We have to protect ourselves somehow. We do this with all kinds of mental gymnastics. The calorie thing, the starvation mode thing, the regain thing, the muscle loss thing - can you think of any others?

I still can get very anxious when I begin to feel hungry. My stomach just growled as I was composing this. It's not as threatening as it used to be and that is the only way I can eat intuitively - wait for the growl. I got home from step aerobics about 20 minutes ago and I looked around for something to eat when I got in the door even though there wasn't a growl yet. Why do I still look for something to eat when I get to Mom's house even though I just ate before going to her house? I can be very logical about it all but there is a dysfunctional relationship with food/eating that still raises its ugly head at times. Sometimes I deal with it better than others. Have you ever noticed when not hungry that you can be very logical, plan things out perfectly, and feel like you are ready but then hunger can wipe it all out? What's up with that?

I weighed 182.5 (again) this morning. My goal is to be in the next digit by September. Completely do-able. I have been farting around a little so ---

I want to be able to ride my bicycle around this country block out here in Centerville. A country block means hills and dogs. I will get a water pistol and fill it with water with some ammonia in it. Making a dog's eyes burn is something they tend to remember. We got an inch of rain and it has cooled off! This means one of my excuses for not getting in a bicycle ride just vanished.

Let's all make good choices today and not fear the hunger feeling (not hunger pain).

Saturday, August 4, 2012

I steal all kinds of stuff from my sister's blog - jensgyrations.blogspot. com - couldn't resist the picture below and the article above is interesting - some of it is a reminder and some of it is more common sense.

Have you ever felt like this kid looks? Out of control. Heading for disaster.

Some of us aren't very good drivers at times and we get ourselves into situations we don't deal with very well. What kind of a deductible do we have on our weight loss policy? Do we pay 5 lb. before getting back in control? 10? more? How much have some of us paid in the past? I know I have gained all the weight I lost back plus some. I have finally learned how to drive. How about you? I know where I am going, how to get there, and have both hands on the wheel.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Any of you have something you always treated yourself to on long trips?

It used to be a cappuccino for me. Now I know they are just a warm milkshake.

Yesterday I drove for 3 hours to spend some time with my first college room mate. My treat on the way was peanuts and some coffee with 1/2 decaf and 1/2 regular (blood pressure you know). I know peanuts are a legume and we are supposed to stick with tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans). This is a treat? For me it was. Cappuccino sounded kind of nauseating.

I remember standing in line to get tickets at King's Island once and this little girl threw up in her hands. It looked like chocolate for breakfast to me. Chocolate donuts, chocolate milk, and whatever else Mom/Dad packed that was junk and not good for a child at anytime. It was hot which I am sure didn't help.

My friend and I ate at Red Lobster last night. I was still not hungry before going to aerobics so didn't eat. When I got home I had my usual Raisin Bran muffin. I will probably have one more meal today - a large salad, get all the water in, and that will be that.

I just got a call. It's about 11 a.m. and they want me to do the 4 ATM's in Indiana. I can get my tonic down in the car as I drive so off I go!

How long has it taken many of us to finally get it? How long have we danced around the obvious truths that we try to obscure by "majoring in the minors".

It isn't if we weigh ourselves or not.It isn't if we track our food or not.It isn't if we blog or not.

We do see it but we want to find another way that is easier and faster. Our situation is special somehow. There are extenuating circumstances that means it works differently for us. I used to try to convince myself that I had some kind of glandular problem - something that made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight. That helped me accept my obesity as out of my control. I remember wishing I would get terribly ill and lose weight - anything but buckling down and getting serious about doing what I needed to do.

Today
remind yourself that nothing is too good to be true. Your great hopes
can be realized. Your most wonderful dreams can come true. All that you
really need, you can have. An incredible goodness is operating on your
behalf. Do not think of lack. Instead think prosperity, abundance, the
best of everything. God wants to give you, His child, every good thing.
Don't hinder His generosity.

Do we think it's too good to be true that we could be at a healthy weight and in control? Do we think it's too good to be true that we can get in shape and enjoy physical activity?

"If we expect the worst, it will be worse than we expected." -unknown

Let's stop looking at other people who are slim, healthy, and active and thinking "it's not fair". Life is not fair, get used to it. Just because they seem to look perfect doesn't mean they don't have problems. They do.

Be kind to everyone today. Everyone is fighting some kind of a battle.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

I got this from Lucy and found it very informative. She has a site with the kind of content I like to read. Are you "fat adapted" yet? Read this article to find out. Of course, it's another plug for low-carb eating. She is staying at or under 100 carbs a day. I don't think I have that many but really don't keep track anymore. I try to just have enough each day not to be tired. When the carbs we consume have been used the body will turn to the fat we have stored.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Any of you have an opinion on this? My cousin swears her arthritis improved significantly from taking this.

I put it in my morning "tonic" which is:

In my 32 oz. water bottle I put 1 cup of a mixture of a digestive tea (senna). We use a quart jar for brewing and put two senna tea bags and two bags of another tea of our choice. Hey Al - don't even think about trying this. I tried drinking senna tea full strength and believe you me I was ready for a colonoscopy soon thereafter. You will not be able to hold it. Ask me how I know.

Anyway - back to the tonic - 1 cup digestive tea mixture, 2 tsp. of this garlic/honey/ACV mixture, a serving of beetroot juice (good for blood pressure), and a serving of powdered L-arginine (also good for blood pressure). I top off the bottle with water adding two packs of stevia sweetener for taste. I usually let it get cold in the refrigerator and then it is my first 32 oz. of liquid for the day.

Well, turtle does pretty much taste like chicken. I can now say I have eaten it. I can take it or leave it.

I followed the plan I outlined last time 100%. I am now up and it's almost time to go pick up Carol and we will be on our way to step aerobics. I am so much better off to get the workout done in the morning even though I would like to stay home and get some watering done in the yard before it gets so hot. The drought is severe here and has been for quite some time. The later it gets in the day the less likely it is that I work out.

My manager called and wants me to do the ATM's in Indiana today. It only takes 2.5 hours so when I get home from aerobics I will get the uniform on, strap on the revolver, and off I go. I am ready to do the binding on the quilt I am making for a wedding in the family. The wedding is on Sept. 1 so I will be able to enter it in our local quilt show the last weekend of August. Perfect. I also need to sweep the living room. I hate housework.

It's my turn to water the planters at the main intersection in town so I will get that done on my way home from aerobics. There are 4 large planters, one on each corner, and they each get a gallon of water each day. I take turns with another lady in Promote Centerville for keeping them watered. Here's a trick for watering newly planted things in your yard. Take a 1-gallon milk jug and poke a hole in one of the bottom corners. I used an awl. I put some gravel in the bottom so it wouldn't blow away. Set it next to the plant/tree/etc. and fill it with water (you can use a funnel if your hand isn't very steady). The water will slowly drain and will be absorbed and not run off. That little tip was worth reading this boring post wasn't it?